Johnny Cash Original Chili Recipe

Chop the steak into medium pieces. Finely chop the onion and garlic.

In a Swiss Diamond stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the steak in the oil in batches, draining off some of the fat if necessary. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a Swiss Diamond skillet, brown the ground meat over medium-high heat. Drain off the fat and set aside.

With the oil remaining in the pot, brown half the onions and garlic over medium heat until they are caramelized. Now add the well-drained ground beef and steak. Stir and heat it all up.

Add the tomatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers (if using), and the remainder of the onions and garlic. Heat to a brisk simmer, stirring often.

Now it's time for the spices. Dad would normally put in the McCormick chili packets, followed by the salt and black pepper, chili powder, cumin, sage, oregano, and cayenne pepper. This is the time to begin tasting your chili.

Once the taste is to your liking, drain the cans of beans and add to the mixture. Now taste again, as you will likely want to add some more spices because the beans mellow their flavor.

Once the chili tastes right, pour in the bottle of beer. Stir well.

Cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add sugar to taste, but be careful not to use too much. Chili becomes something else entirely if too sweet. Simmer, covered, for at least another 30 minutes, making sure to stir so it does not burn.

Now grab that handful of cornmeal, uncover the chili, and stir it in.